walkee



(No Model.)

F. M. WALKER. TRACTION ENGINE DRIVING GEAR. No. -357,431.- Patented .Feb. 8, 1887.

: UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS BLWVALKER, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

TRACTION-ENGINE DRIVING-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.857A31, dated February 8, 1887.

Application filed August 21, 1886. Serial No. 211,484. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS MARION WALKER, of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, machinist, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Traction-Engine Driv:

ing-Gear, of which the following is a specificationr The object of the invention is to arrange the gearing connecting the engine with the main carrying-wheels of the machine, so that when in motion the greater portion of the weight of the boiler and parts shall be thrown upon the carrying-wheels of the machine without in any way straining the boiler, which may move freely on its springs, and shall be distinctly independent of the frame carrying the traction-gearing; and it consists, essentially, in supporting the traction-gear upon an independent frame pivoted or journaled upon the axles of the carrying-wheels and suitably connected to the forward part of the boiler, substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinafter described.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the gear-- ing involved in my invention. Fig. 2 is a decounter-shaft with the carrying-frame. Fig. 3 is a detail of the hanger for connecting the carrying-frame to the bell-crank employed to adjust the former.

In the drawings, A is the boiler, supported in the ordinary manner by the spring B, resting on the axle G of the main carrying-wheel.

Ido notshow the main carrying-wheel in the drawings, as it would hide the gearing; and it will be sufficient for the purpose of this specification to say that the carrying-wheels are journaled on the axle C, (only one of which is seen,) and have internal spur-wheels attached to them to mesh with the piuions D, secured to the counter-shaft E. This counter-shaft E has a spur-wheel, F, secured to it, which meshes with the spur-pinion G, secured to the second countershaft, H, whichlatter countershaft has a pulley, I, fastened to it and is connected to the engine-shaft J by means of the belt K and the pulley L, as indicated.

I have not shown the engine, as it is of the ordinary kind, and is supported, as usual, on the boiler.

I do not claim anything peculiar in the gearing as so far described, as it is merely arranged for the purpose of conveying the motion of the engine'shaft J to the main or ground wheels employed in carrying the machine; but it will be seen that if the counter-shafts E and H were carried on a frame rigidly connected to the boiler A the entire strain of the working of the gearing would necessarily be sustained by the boiler, not only from the operation of the gearing, but also from the jolting caused when the engine is driven over rough ground. The gearing, moreover, would be constantly getting out of line from the motion of the springs B, which would of course be detrimental to the satisfactory working of the gearing.

By the adoption of my invention the fireboX end of the boileris supported on the axles G, distinctly independent of the means by which the forward end of the boiler is carried, the gearing employed for connecting the driving motor or engine with the main carrying wheels being carried on an independent frame, the rear end of which isjournaled or pivoted on the axle O and the front end connected to the forward portion of the boiler A, so that when the gearing is put into-operation, as hereinafter described, the weight of the forward part of the .boiler is thrown onto the wheels of the machine independent of the means by which the weight of the rear partof the boiler is similarly utilized for the purpose ofincreasing the traction-power of the main carrying wheels. In order to accomplish these results, I provide an independent frame, N, the ends of which are provided each with a bearing-box, O, jonrnalcd on the axle O on either side of the boiler A. The sidesof the frame N are made parallel with each other, and the cross-bar, or that portion of the frame extending from one side of the boiler to the other, is substantially at right angles to the thereon, being rigidly fastened in any desired position by means of set-screws, which plan for connecting the bearing-boxes in any desired position permits the gearing to be readily adjusted, so as to increase or decrease the mesh of the teeth. It also provides an easy means for disconnecting the gearing from the spur-wheel on the main carrying-wheels, thereby enabling the said gearing to be utilized for other purposes besides propelling the ma chine.

If the main carrying-wheels have attached to them internal spur-wheels, as before mentioned, the engine or driving-motor of the machine will be so driven as to cause the spurpinion G to revolve in the direction indicated by arrow, which of course will make the pinion D revolvein the opposite direction, as also indicated by arrow. Consequently the tendency of the spur-pinion D will be to climb up the internal spur-wheel on the main carryingwheel, and as the frame N, on which the shaft E of the spur-wheel F is journaled, is carried at one end by the axle O, and is connected at its other end, as described, to the forward end of the boiler A, the aforesaid climbing up of the spur-wheel D has of course a tendency to raise the forward end of the boiler, and thereby the weight of the forward end of the boiler is thrown upon the axle 0, increasing to the extent of the increased weight the traction-power of the main carrying-wheels without in any way straining the boiler.

It will further be noticed that by the arrangement of my gearing described the bearing-boxes are all near to the points where the gears mesh with each other, which is of course an important factor in the satisfactory working of the said gearing.

The frame N, which is preferably made of pipe or round iron, as indicated, is strengthened by means of'the truss-rods R, which brace and impart the necessary rigidity to the frame without materially increasing its weight.

The crank-shaft P, to which the frame N is connected, as before described, is held in position, and is also operated by means of the spindle S, one end of which being connected to the rear portion of the boiler A, as shown,

while its other end passes through a nut in 7 one of the arms of the crank-shaft P. By

means of this spindle S the front portion of the frame N may be raised onlowered, and as the pulleys I and L are thus brought closer to or moved farther from each other the belt K may be tightened or loosened, as required, by the adjustment of the frame N in the manner specified, and as the frame N is pivoted on the axle G the necessary adjustment may be made without interfering with the satisfactory working of the gearing. It will also be noticed that as the traction-gear described is supported on a frame independentof the boiler, the said boiler may move freely on its springs without in any way affecting the satisfactory working of the traction-gear.

In order to prevent the operator adjusting the spindle S so as to overstrain the belt K, I place a spiral spring, 8, on the spindle S, between the bracket which supports it to the boiler A and a collar fixed on the spindle S, as shown.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. A. traction-engine in which the tractiongear is supported on an independent frame pivoted at one end upon the axles of the main carrying-wheels and suitably connected at its other end to the boiler of the machine.

2. The frame N, pivoted on the axle O and connected at its other end to the forward portion of the boiler A, in combination with the counter-shafts E and H,journaled in bearingboxes M, adjustably connected to the frame N, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The frame N, pivoted on the axle G, and supporting the counter-shafts E and H, which carry the driving gear, as specified, the crankshalt P, journaled in brackets S, attached to the boiler A and connected to the frame N by the links Q, in combination with the adjusting-spindle S, arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. A screwed spindle, S, connected to and arranged to operate the crank-shaft P, in combination with the spring 8, arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified.

Toronto, August 3, 1886.

FRANCIS M. \VALKER.

In presence of CHARLES C. BALDWIN, F. BARNARD FETHERSTONHAUGH. 

